CTfastrak Celebrates Its Second Year as New Transit-Oriented Development Begins Construction

CTfastrak Celebrates Its Second Year as New Transit-Oriented Development Begins Construction

After Two Years of Service, CTfastrak is Exceeding Ridership Targets and Fostering Economic Growth in Surrounding Communities

A Rendering of 616 New Park

Hartford, Connecticut – Governor Dannel Malloy, along with other public officials and local advocates, gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the second anniversary of CTfastrak. The bus rapid transit system has already seen more than five million riders, and the service continues to exceed ridership projections. Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) Executive Director Lyle Wray, Mayor Shari Cantor of West Hartford, and Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Public Transit Administrator Michael Sanders were among those to speak positively about CTfastrak and its impact on the regional economy.

The event was held at the future site of 616 New Park, a $20 million mixed-use, transit-oriented development (TOD) project on New Park Avenue in West Hartford. The development is adjacent to the Elmwood CTfastrak station and will provide 54 units of housing, including eleven units of supportive housing for veterans. Many of the day’s speakers stated that without CTfastrak, developments like 616 New Park would not be possible. The bus rapid transit service has brought increased economic activity to the corridor, and businesses along corridors like New Park Avenue have seen an increase in customers.

CRCOG Executive Director Lyle Wray, who has long been a supporter of CTfastrak and its effects on the regional economy, said that 616 New Park and similar construction in New Britain are only the beginning of the TOD that CTfastrak will bring. “If we are going to attract the next generation of skilled workers, these are the kinds of assets we need to have,” Wray said. He stressed the importance of TOD in retaining young professionals, which is a target market for 616 New Park.

The event concluded with officials leaving their handprints in a slab of concrete that will become part of the foundation for 616 New Park. Construction on the project is expected to be completed in June of 2018.

CRCOG is established under the Connecticut General Statutes as a voluntary association of municipal governments serving the 38 Metro Hartford municipalities. Our members have collaborated for more than 30 years on a wide range of projects related to planning, transportation, service sharing, and cooperative procurement to benefit our towns individually and the region as a whole.